# US 10,118,111 B2 · Apparatus, system, and method for removing gas in an immersion ultrasonic process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,111 B2 - Document ID: US10118111B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/236,435 - Filed: 2016-08-13 - Published: 2018-02-15 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-13 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Roy M. Gagnon; Jeffry J. Garvey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118111B2 ## CPC - B01D 19/0078: {by vibration} - B01D 19/0094: {by using a vortex, cavitation} - G01N 29/225: {Supports, positioning or alignment in moving situation} - G01N 29/265: by moving the sensor relative to a stationary material - G01N 29/28: providing acoustic coupling {, e.g. water (impedance matching G10K11/02)} - G01N 29/32: Arrangements for suppressing undesired influences, e.g. temperature or pressure variations {, compensating for signal noise} - G10K 11/006: {Transducer mounting in underwater equipment, e.g. sonobuoys} - G01N 2291/2694: Wings or other aircraft parts - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An apparatus for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process is provided. The apparatus, in the form of an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus, has a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion. A holder portion with an exterior end and an interior end is formed through the first end, and holds one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers. A sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter is adjacent the interior end of the holder portion. The sloped inner face has an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end. One or more evacuation ports are formed through the first end, and adjacent the evacuation end. When the apparatus is used in the immersion ultrasonic process, the knife-edged perimeter, sloped inner face, and evacuation ports facilitate removal of the gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process, the apparatus comprising: an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprising: a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion; a holder portion formed through the first end, and configured to hold one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus, the holder portion having an exterior end and an interior end; a sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter adjacent the interior end of the holder portion, the sloped inner face further having an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end; and one or more evacuation ports formed through the first end and located adjacent the evacuation end of the sloped inner face, wherein when the apparatus is used in the immersion ultrasonic process, the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports provide one or more flow paths configured to flow the gas away from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, along the sloped inner face, through the one or more evacuation ports, and out of the apparatus, thus facilitating flow and removal of the gas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising two or more attachment points formed through two or more of the plurality of sides, the two or more attachment points configured for attachment to an apparatus retaining assembly comprising a gimbal assembly, when the apparatus is used in the immersion ultrasonic process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more fluid evacuation channels, each fluid evacuation channel having an exterior end and an interior end, and each fluid evacuation channel extending through the body, from the interior end intersecting the holder portion, to the exterior end intersecting an exterior of the apparatus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sloped inner face has a conical-shaped configuration, and an upward sloped surface sloped at an angle of from about 20° (twenty degrees) to about 70° (seventy degrees). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprises six evacuation ports surrounding the holder portion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more evacuation ports are each vertically oriented, and an evacuation port interior wall of each evacuation port is parallel to a holder portion interior wall of the holder portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gas comprises air in the form of air bubbles. ### Claim 8 A system for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process, the system comprising: an immersion ultrasonic transducer system comprising: an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprising: a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion; a holder portion formed through the first end, and having an exterior end and an interior end; a sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter adjacent the interior end of the holder portion, the sloped inner face further having an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end; and one or more evacuation ports formed through the first end and located adjacent the evacuation end of the sloped inner face; one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers positioned in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus; a vessel filled with a fluid couplant, the vessel configured to hold in the vessel the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers; and an apparatus retaining assembly configured to retain in the vessel the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, when the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers scan a structure during the immersion ultrasonic process, wherein during the immersion ultrasonic process, the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus and the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers held in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus are immersed in the vessel filled with the fluid couplant, and the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports provide one or more flow paths configured to flow the gas away from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, along the sloped inner face, through the one or more evacuation ports, and out of the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus, thus facilitating flow and removal of the gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising a fluid delivery system coupled to the vessel via a fluid delivery element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising a motion control system coupled to the apparatus retaining assembly via a connector element. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the gas comprises air in the form of air bubbles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising a processor and analysis system coupled to the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, and configured to collect, process, display, and analyze signal output received from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers during the immersion ultrasonic process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus further comprises two or more attachment points formed through two or more of the plurality of sides, the two or more attachment points configured for attachment to the apparatus retaining assembly comprising a gimbal assembly, when the apparatus is used in the immersion ultrasonic process. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 wherein the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus holds one immersion ultrasonic transducer having a transducer face, and the knife-edged perimeter surrounds a circumference of the transducer face. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus provides a consistent offset distance between the transducer face and the structure, during the immersion ultrasonic process. ### Claim 16 A method for removing a gas in an immersion ultrasonic process, the method comprising the steps of: using an immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprising: a body with a first end, a second end, a plurality of sides, and a hollow interior cavity portion; a holder portion formed through the first end, and having an exterior end and an interior end; a sloped inner face having a base end with a knife-edged perimeter adjacent the interior end of the holder portion, the sloped inner face further having an upward sloped surface extending from the base end to an evacuation end; and one or more evacuation ports formed through the first end and located adjacent the evacuation end of the sloped inner face; positioning one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus; retaining the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus with the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, in an apparatus retaining assembly, to obtain an immersion ultrasonic transducer assembly; immersing the immersion ultrasonic transducer assembly into a vessel with a fluid couplant and a structure configured to undergo the immersion ultrasonic process; and using the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports, during the immersion ultrasonic process, to flow and remove the gas away from the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers, along the sloped inner face, through the one or more evacuation ports, and out of the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 further comprising coupling the vessel to a fluid delivery system, coupling the apparatus retaining assembly to a motion control system, and coupling the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers to a processor and analysis system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein using the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprises using the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus further comprising two or more attachment points formed through two or more of the plurality of sides, the two or more attachment points configured for attachment to the apparatus retaining assembly comprising a gimbal assembly, when the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus is used in the immersion ultrasonic process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein positioning the one or more immersion ultrasonic transducers in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus comprises positioning one immersion ultrasonic transducer in the immersion ultrasonic transducer holder apparatus, the immersion ultrasonic transducer having a transducer face, and the knife-edged perimeter surrounding a circumference of the transducer face. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein using the knife-edged perimeter, the sloped inner face, and the one or more evacuation ports to flow and remove the gas comprises flowing and removing the gas comprising air in the form of air bubbles with one of, a manual process and an automated process.